Nighthawk Rising
by fluffykitty12
Summary: Third installment of the Bird Series- takes place during season 2. As Nightwing begins to make a name for himself, Scarlet struggles witht eh trails and tribulations of growing up, both as a civilian and a hero. Family issues arise, and with Invasion on the horizon, she must become a hero she never dreamed she could be.
1. Leaving Home

**First chapter baby! First off, I should let you know- I really didn't like season 2. I felt like it focused way too much on the wannabe characters nobody really liked. No offense, they're alright, but the team seemed to have gotten too big and they jumped back and forth between the new members, not really doing the old team members justice. So this story will mainly be Bat-family centric. **

**JASON WILL MAKE MULTIPULE APPERANCES! Along with Damian Wayne, the fourth, soon-to-be Robin, as well. I really hated when they only showed Jason's memorial in the cave- no mention of him at all besides that. And, they didn't feature the Red Hood at all. That just crushed me. **

**Finally, this is about Sparrow growing up. The title doesn't make sense yet, but trust me, it will as the story goes on. Here goes nothing- thanks again for all of you who've been with me from the start. Please follow, fav, and review! :)**

2 years after ending of The Second Bird

_Scarlet: 14_  
_Dick: 18_

She woke up, as always, to arguing.

"I saved your life!"

"You almost died!"

"It was the only option!"

"I should have taken that blow!"

She hadn't been allowed on patrol lately. Joker had broken out of Arkham and teamed up with Two-Face, resulting in a deadly combination- so deadly, that Bruce had forced her to stay behind.

For the past week, she'd been waking up to hear her father and brother clashing. Of course, there arguing hadn't started over night.

It'd started months ago, just before Robin's eighteenth birthday. Subtle disagreements, when Robin contradicted a strategy Batman proposed or argued when Batman suggested she limit acrobatics in her training. Robin had emphasized his acrobatics, afterall, and he was doing fine.

Subtle disagreements like that that had occured in growing frequency. And over the past week everything had exploded.

Without her there, Batman wnd Robin were always arguing, always at eachothers throats. It seemed like they only kept their arguments down when she was present so as not to upset her.

Like she couldn't hear them screaming at eachother from downstairs. It was 1:17 in the morning, . She moaned, rolling over and holding a pillow over her head- it only suceeded in muffling the sounds of the agrument downstairs.

She had to side with Robin, mostly, though. He was almost as good as Batman, now, incredibly capable of handling things. But Batman insisted they stayed together on patrol, was always looking over his son's shoulder, watching him, as though he didn't have faith in his son's ability. He was, in truth, getting controlling. She knew Bruce was only trying to protect Dick, but still, it was getting out of hand.

"Master Bruce and Master Dick!" Alfred's yelling stopped the shouting match in its tracks. The butler rarely yelled, but when he did, everyone was quiet and listened.

"Master Scarlet is in her room sleeping, and I suggest that if you must argue, you become quieter so as not to disturb her."**(1)**

Scarlet smiled from wheres she laid in bed, eyes still closed. Good old Alfred. She could hear a hushed agrument from there, but the voices were too quiet to make sense of.

She was, in fact, almost asleep, until she awoke to Dick shaking her slightly.

"Scarlet." he whispered, warm breath ticking her face.

"Mmmm..." she muttered, trying to ignore his shaking and nestling deeper into the folds of the blankets.

"Scarlet. Scarlet, please."

There was something desperate in his voice, and she opened her eyes, blinking sleepily and waiting until Dick's face came into focus as he stared at her in the dark room.

"Scarlet, I'm leaving."

"What?" she stared at him, shocked. He had a duffle bag packed, though, it was sitting beside her bed.

"I can't take it here anymore. Bruce is too controlling."

"He just needs time, Dick. He'll come around..."

"But he isn't coming around, Scarlet!" Dick said, frustrated.

He saw the shocked look on her face at his outburst and sighed. "Look- I'm sorry I just blew up at you. It's just... it's been eating at me. He doesn't think I'm capable, and he never will. Even if he did... I'm not sure I'd want to stay. I don't want to stay Robin forever- living in Batman's shadow. I need to be my own hero. I'm leaving."

He could see the fear in her eyes, then, raw and scared. They'd been together since birth. The only time they'd ever been seperated was immediately after their parents had died, and that had only been for two weeks, and when Scarlet had gone to boarding school- and even then, they'd constantly email one another.

"Don't be afraid, Scarlet. Bruce is a good guy- he'll take care of you." Dick sat down beside her, pulling her into an embrace.

"He's still a good guy. He's still our Dad. He's just... wrong about somethings. I'm not a kid anymore. It's time for me to find my own path."

"But what about the team? What about Gotham?" she asked quietly, nervous.

"I'll still be on the team, but I'm not going to be Robin anymore. I need to be my own hero, now."

"Gotham?" she whispered, afraid.

"Take good care of her for me. I need to go, Scarlet- you understand, don't you?"

She nodded, but she buried her face in his broad chest, remembering how he smelled, the strength and muscles, everything, wishing they could stay like that forever.

"If you ever need me, just call. I'll always be there, Scarlet." he whispered, tucking her head beneath his chin. "I love you." he whispered, planting a quick peck on the crown of her head before standing to go.

"Wait." she opened the drawer to her bedside table, pulling out her signature birdarang- it was different than Robin's, in that it was golden with black tips. If anyone asked, she said it was a sourvineer Sparrow had given her when she'd been rescued by her. But Dick knew the truth.

"Thanks. Keep your head up, kid. Always remember- do what's right. Be strong for me."

She nodded, though she sniffed, hugging him one last time.

"I love you." she whispered.

"I love you too, Scarlet."

All too soon, though, he was gone, walking downstairs, away from her, away from the home that he'd known for nine years.

She heard him saying muffled goodbyes to Alfred- he said nothing to Bruce, He was probably brooding in the batcave, like he always did, after a heated argument.

She watched him from her window as he walked out to his car, a Suburu Bruce had gotten him two years ago for his sixteenth birthday. Always safe, always dependable. Just like Dick.

She lifted her hand in a halfhearted wave that he returned. She could've sworn he was mouthing 'I love you.'. And then he pulled out and was gone, the night swallowing him up.

She stood, barefoot and freezing, praying he'd turn around and come back, his headlights suddenly pierce the darkness on the horizon, and he'd come home. But he never did.

Around ten minutes later, she realized it. He was really gone. She padded across the hall, nudging open the door to his old room. The bed was messy, but she didn't care, falling into it and pulling the wrinkled red comforter over her, burying her face in his pillow. It smelled like him.

She curled into a ball and wept.

* * *

Bruce crept upstairs. It was early morning, but it was a Saturday, so both his children were, like most children, sleeping until noon. Only they did it to make up the much needed hours they missed during patrol, though.

He, in truth, wanted to check on Dick. The boy had had a few ribs cracked when he jumped in front of a bullet meant for him- and even though Dick thought he'd spent the night in the cave brooding, he'd really been blaming himself for his son being hurt. The boy had grown more skilled, but he walso also getting reckless- Bruce didn't want him to have to take the risks he did.

He peered into Scarlet's room on his way there. The bed was messy, covers empty, and he frowned.

Then again, Scarlet sometimes ran either into his room or Dick's when she had a nightmare- it was a good bet she'd be in Dick's room.

He slipped down the hallway, nudging open the door. There was Scarlet, asleep in Dick's bed, but she was alone. Bruce frowned. Dick always stayed with her until she woke up, being sure to wake her if she had nightmares.

Something was definitely wrong.

Alfred's footsteps echoed in the large hall as he approached, planning on walking by...

"Alfred. Have you seen Dick?" Bruce asked, concern etched onto his face.

"Ah, yes. Master Dick left after your... ahem... discussion. He informed me he would not be returning."

"He... what?" Bruce stared, shocked, mouth open...

"He's gone, Master Bruce." Alfred said simply, before continuing on down the hall.

And his footsteps echoed.

**_(1) Alludes to The Second Bird- Scarlet prefers to be caled Master since she thinks Mistress is girly._**

**A little angsty, but please review!**


	2. Teenage Rebellion

**It's only been a few days, but since I'm still trying to work on the plot (a lot more Sparrow, a lot less team. They're currently recruits new members, since Wally and Artemis left). It may take a week or so before the next upload- I'll have to see how my inspiration box does. Please REVIEW! :)**

It was the next night, as he was readying for patrol, when he noticed Sparrow's golden uniform was gone.

It was then she strode over from one of the darker corners of thr cave, nodding to him. "Still after Joker and Two Face?"

"You aren't coming. It's too dangerous."

"There's no way in hell I'm letting you go after them alone."

"Watch your mouth." Batman growled. He was already upset about Dick, the last thig he wanted was to take out his self-hatred on Scarlet.

"Why should I? I've heard worse on the streets."

"Get up to your room. Now."

"This is why Dick left. Total lack of confindience in his ability, babying him, trying to sheild himf rom things when he's clearly seen worse." Sparrow crossed her arms across her chest.

"I'm coming."

"You're to stay in the car, understand me? Only come out if I need backup."

"Deal." she slid into the passanger seat of the Bat Mobile.

* * *

Dick sighed, walking down the cold streets himself. Blüdhaven was a dangerous place at night- heck, it was even dangerous during the day. Not too far from Gotham, either, incase Bruce needed help.

He wasn't going to speak to his father for awhile. His answering machine was full of things, messages, inbox full of emails, texts. But he wasn't going back. Because whatever promises Bruce made, more independence, more freedom, was just a ploy to get him back. Eventually, he'd go back on his word and try to sheild him again.

He was 18. He was young, he was free. And he wasn't Robin anymore.

The first few times he'd run patrol of the city, it'd been black as night. He hadn't gone as a hero- just a kid in black sweat pants and a hoodie with a mask. He'd stopped crime, true- but as far as the people of Blüdhaven knew, they were just as lawless and hopeless as ever.

He needed a name for the face. These people needed to know they had a hero.

Crime in Blüdhaven revolved around night, he knew. If you stopped crime during the night, people would realize there was someone looking out for them, and crime in broad day would coem to a grinding halt. It all revolved around the night.

And it reminded him of a story Superman had told him when he was a kid, just nine. About a hero, a hero named Nightwing. He hoped he'd do the name justice.

* * *

Bruce tried not to sigh. He was worried. REALLY worried. He hadn't heard from Dick in two weeks, and the boy hadn't come to the Cave at all, either. He didn't have a job, only a small trust fund, so there was no way he could get an appartment for long, and he was freaking out mentally.

He could imagine his boy, on the streets, freezing, but he was stubborn- possibly stubborn enough to stay out there, try and make a name for himself. In a world as dangerous as that, anyone could take the boy and hold him for ransom, knowing Bruce Wayne cared for him.

He wasn't stupid, either. He was the world's greatest detective, and he knew Dick was in Blüdhaven. But Blüdhaven was the pinacle of organized crime, and if Dick tried to take a stand there, tried to become a hero...

He shuddered. Batman investing time to follow Dick Grayson would be too conspicious, but Bruce Wayne was a billionare, after all...

Maybe if Dick knew there were private investigators looking out for him, which he no doubt would- he'd taught the boy well- he wouldn't risk his identity and try to becoem a hero. He picked up the phone. Bruce Wayne had a few strings to pull.

* * *

Her phone went off if the middle of the night, just as she'd gotten home from busting a grueling drug deal with Bruce, and she jumped. She'd just fallen into bed. She sighed, answering, once she saw it was Dick.

"Yeah?"

"Hey. Sorry I called so late." Dick sounded appoligetic.

"'S fine. What do you need?"

"Um... this is going to sound weird." Dick said, hesitating.

"Dick, it's three in the morning, and I have school tomorrow. Spit it out."

"Right. I need you to... um... concern... Bruce."

"What?"

"I know, it's crazy. But he's hired four private investigators to keep tabs on me- he's either really concerned about me, or controlling. So... could you... um... make him a little more concernd about you, maybe? Then his focus will shift, I'm hoping..."

"Um... sure. I guess. G'night, Dick."

* * *

The next day she came home late, with fire red hair and a nose stud. Bruce was beside himself. It probably had something to do with the fact that if Sparrow suddenly went on patrol with red hair and a nise piercing, which had also recently been done by Scarlet Grayson, it'd arouse suspicion. Not to mention she hadn't consulted with him first.

What if she'd gotten Hepatitis orsomething from the piercing? What if someone had poisoned the hair dye?

She just laughed and said, 'screw you'. Sure, she was grounded for two weeks, but she was doing it as a favor for Dick. Bruce was DEFINITELY concerned about her now- not to mention she'd started blaring rock music and other things.

She tried not to enjoy it too much- but being rebellious and watching Bruce freak out may have been slightly entertaining. Who was she kidding? It was hilarious. She didn't know why she hadn't done this sooner.


	3. Hero Rising

**It's been awhile. With Easter and everything, not to mention alk the before break tests, life was just insane. I FINALLY got caught up on all the missed sleep, so here's the next chapter! Please review! **_Italics means flashback._

"I'm sorry, Sparrow, I'm so sorry. I never thought this would happen." Nightwing knelt over his sister, who had her hand pressed over her bleeding side, gasping.

"It's fine, Wing. Just a graze."

"Yeah, and what, four knife slashes? Dammit- what the hell was I thinking!?" he cursed himself.

What had gone wrong?

_"Do you feel like going on a drugs bust?" he'd asked her over the phone, a little less than four hours earlier._

_"Heck yeah. In Blüdhaven?"_

_"Yeah. I'll be there in fifteen minutes." He'd hung up the phone, then._

She'd snuck out- Bruce had, once again, taken her off patrol. Probably had something to do with her dying her hair fire-red and getting a nose stud. But he had asked for distraction, something to take Bruce's attention off him for awhile...

"I can walk, Wing." she protested, batting at him as he tried to pick her up, bridal-style.

"You're loosing blood." Nightwing said simply. "And all those slashes... you'll need stitches. That's it- I'm calling Bruce."

"No! Are you serious!? He'll skin you alive for taking me to Blüdhaven! We did it, Wing- you can patch me up at home."

"Maybe..."

_It was the first major bust he'd be doing as Nightwing. They were the Vipers, and, true to their name, they were one of the most dangerous gangs in Blüdhaven. They were into trafficking anything they could. Illegal drugs and poisions, mostly, but if a client was willing to pay enough, they'd traffic arms and other weapons- in some cases, even humans._

_"Things could get rough." He'd warned her, as they headed back towards Blüdhaven._

_"I know, Wing." she'd taken to calling him that ever since he'd become Nightwing._

_"No, you don't. Blüdhaven is a whole different beast than Gotham..."_

_"If you're so unsure about me, then why'd you call and ask me to come?" she'd asked, glaring at him, slightly frustrated, from where she sat in the passanger seat of the black suburu._

_Nightwing sighed. "Because- I need the help, okay? And the last person I wanted to ask was Bruce. It's a big shipment, and I knew it was too much for me to handle on my own. I need you- but I'm not sure that even both of us will be enough."_

_"It will be, Wing." she'd placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling at him. "Just stay whelmed. We'll be fine- you're a great hero. We'll pull it off."_

_He'd smiled at her use of his old word, invented back when he was Robin. "Thanks. Now, as for the set-up..."_

"Dammit." she hissed the curse when he jostled her too much.

"Sorry- it it still bleeding?" Nightwing asked, concerned. The Blüdhaven PD was on scene by now, arresting the men they'd bested, but he could care less. He was picking his way across the rooftops, carrying her back towards the apartment.

"Yeah- but it's slowing down a little." she reassured him from where she laid in his arms.

"Good..."

_"They transfer the goods at the shipyard." Nightwing had said simply. From there, there are two roads out. One on the right- one on the left. There's a building on either side of each road. You take the right- start a distraction- and I'll come in from behind and take them out. Got it?"_

_"Got it."_

_They'd waited patiently, and she'd watched Noghtwing give the signal before begining her distraction with a hail of smokebombs, followed by her cackling and jumping down. The smoke would clear and the men would be so busy focusing on her, allowing Nightwing the perfect cover._

_Only there had been more than the original six. There had been five men waiting in each building, just in case a situation like this arose._

_Ten had come at Sparrow, surrounding her, guns blazing. She'd fought like a demon- dropped a smoke bomb and hit the ground, first, and some men were cut down by the bullets of friends. When the smoke cleared, though, only three had fallen. She was left facing seven men, three of which had assult rifles, and the rest all armed with handguns and switchblades._

_Despite the odds, she'd downed two of them. But exhaustion was impending as Nightwing took down his own assailants, and a bullet grazed her. It was then she lost all sense of self-preservation, knowing if she stood still and tried to defend a moment longer she'd be killed, outnumbered and outgunned._

_So she'd gone offensive. Nightwing had been screaming her name, trying to down the three men on him as fast as he could, when he watched her loose it all. She was a wild cat, vaulting into the air and flipping onto one man's back, knocking him out cold by driving her elbow into the small gap between his collar bone and shoulder blade, hitting the nerve and knocking him out cold._

_Before he'd hit the ground she'd gone again, jump kicking another man in the face and knocking him out cold, ignoring his friend's blade, which bit into the flesh on her calf, ducking bullets and lunging at another man, knocking him onto his back and slamming his head into the ground._

_The last two rushed her, swinging knives, and she ducked one blade, meant to slit her throat, only to be slashed by the other and fall, crying out in pain._

_By then, though, Nightwing had finished off his men and moved, flipping and landing behind the men, banging their heads together, knocking them both unconcious, before kneeling down to be beside his bleeding sister._

_"I'm sorry, Sparrow, I'm so sorry. I never thought this would happen."_

"You still with me?" Nigtwing asked anxiously.

"I'm here, Wing." she assured him.

"Good. I've got a first aid kit in my room..." he seriously wanted to take her to the doctor, but he knew she'd never allow it. Besides, there weren't doctors in here in Blüdhaven that were loyal and kept a secret, like Dr. Leslie.

Even if he did bribe them, when the media found out about them, like they most certainly had tonight, they'd sell them out.

"The graze is the worst, right?" he asked, emerging from his room.

She nodded. Her shirt was already in tatters, and he gently helped her tug it off, revealing a blood-stained white sports bra. Nightwing held a towel to the graze on her side, finally satisfyed that the bleeding had slowed enough, before threading the needle. He stopped for a moment to meet her eyes.

"I don't have any painkillers."

"I know." she met his eyes and nodded, though she was shaky. "Do it, Wing."

"Right." he winced when the needle first penetrated the flesh, but it got easier as he went. Sparrow, for her part, never cried out, gripping the pillow and struggling to control her ragged breathing.

He'd been wrong- there were only three slashes, and thankfully, he was done within a few minutes. He sat her up, giving her a few asprin.

"How's it feel?" he asked, slightly anxious.

"I've had worse." she said, giving him a wane smile.

"What?" Nightwing asked, looking at her, perplexed.

"You just had to choose Blüdhaven, didn't you?" she asked, still smiling. "Couldn't have chosen someplace like Safety Town, or Friendlyville, could you?"

Nightwing chuckled. "I tried to warn you, kid."

"Yeah. You did. Be careful, alright?" she said, gaze imploring him. Nightwing nodded, smoothing back her hair.

"I will, little sis. Don't worry." he tossed her a white t-shirt, which she pulled on.

Just then, her phone went off.

"Dammit. It's 3:00am. I have twenty minutes to get home before Bruce comes to check on me." she stared at her brother, eyes wide, and, for once, worried. It took thirty minutes to get to the manor from here.

* * *

"You're breaking every traffic law known to man." Sparrow said, grinning, as they pushed ninty down the highway. "We're gonna get pulled over."

Nightwing turned off the headlights, then. "I'm in the police academy. I'm allowed to break the law once and awhile." he looked at the clock on the radio nervously. Ten minutes, and they were a little less than halfway home.

"Hang on a minute." he wrenched the wheel to the side, suddenly having an inspiration, and the black suburu fishtailed for a breif moment, before tearing through a feild.

"Woooo!" Sparrow was grinning, laughing from where she sat, as Nightwing grit his teeth and bared down. They WOULD get there on time...

He ditched the car a mile away from the manor, and they sprinted towards it, stopping only to catch their breath, hands on their knees, as they stood before Sparrow's window on the second floor.

"Great- how do we get in?" Sparrow asked.

Nightwing stared at her. "What do you mean, how do we get in?"

"Well, I barely caught the treebranch the first time." Sparrow said, motioning to the large maple that sat just outside her window, seven feet away from the opening.

"I doubt I can make it with a bullet graze and a bunch of gashes."

Nightwing sighed. "I'll throw you."

"You'll what?"

"I'll throw you. Just get in the tree!" they had two minutes, and they both struggled to the top of the tree, exhausted muscles trembling.

"Okay..." Dick panted, grabbing Sparrow under the arms. "You trust me, right?"

"Umm... no." Sparrow said honestly from where she was crouched on the edge of the branch.

"Well too bad. Now jump!" Nightwing pushed her as she jumped, soaring through the window and hitting the floor inside it with a huge bang. She lulled off her boots, stuffing them under the bed, before crawling under the covers.

One minute later, right on cue, Bruce ran into the room.

"Scarlet? Are you alright? I heard a bang..."

"Hmmm? Oh, yeah, I fell out of bed..." she said, acting disinterested. "Just woke me up, was all." she threw in a real yawn- man, was she tired.

"You're sweating." Bruce said, brow furrowed with concern. "Was it a nightmare?"

"No. At least, not one I remember..."

Bruce nodded, still not completely convinced.

"You want me to stay? Do you want anything- water, another pillow, maybe?"

She yawned again. "No thanks, Dad- 'm good. Just gonna go back to sleep..."

Bruce nodded, gaze lingering for a moment, before he left her.

As soon as he'd been gone for a few minutes, she stood, heading towards the window, and smiled at Nightwing, who was still hidden in the tree, camoflagued remarkably well by his black costume with blue emblems.

She gave him a grin beforeturning and heading back to bed.

It was all worth it though, when she saw the front cover of the newspaper the next day: a picture of her brother in his new costume was on it, along with two words- **Hero rising**.


	4. Home

**It's been awhile, but I really wanted to get this out there. Please review! :)**

"No! I'm tired of you trying to protect me! I hate you!" Sparrow yelled, tearing her cape off as soon as the batmobile entered the cave.

"He was a RAPIST." Bruce said, trying to reason with her.

"And I've taken down three men at once- I think I can handle some horny sicko!"

"You disobeyed orders and went into a dangerous situation by yourself. That alone is enough for me to ice you." Batman growled.

She whirled. "Ice me, huh? Since when did you start talking like a fucking gangster?"

"Watch your mouth..."

"No! I'll say what I want- I'll do what I want- you're fucking clueless, you know that? You still don't understand why Dick left."

"This isn't about Dick..."

"Yes it is!" she yelled, glaring at him. "You're trying to fucking control me, hold me back. Dick couldn't take it, and he left, he was 18. You're trying to get me used to it, at 14, you being my handler- and I won't fucking do it!" she whirled, knocking some beakers off a table, and they fell to the floor, shattering.

"Get up to your room."

"No."

"This isn't up for negotiation! You're already off patrol for a month- push me any farther and being Sparrow goes away entirely."

"You wouldn't fucking dare..."

"Scarlet! Go upstairs- now!"

"Fuck you."

"Sparrow's finished. If you want to be a hero, you need to start acting like one. Leave the costume in my room and go to bed."

"You aren't my father anymore."

And with those words, she turned, sprinting upstairs into the manor, leaving a shocked Bruce behind her.

She sprinted upstairs, tears rolling down her face, sobbing hysterically as she went. She slammed the door, looking down at her filthy costume in disgust. How could he? Sparrow wasn't just a costume she put on to play hero- it was who she WAS.

She couldn't take it anymore, and she wouldn't.

She grabbed a suitcase, one on wheels she normally used for carrying fresh clothes back and forth to the cave when she'd be staying for awhile, throwing it open on the bed.

She grabbed clothes, then, a few pictures, and stuffed them inside.

She had a stash of birdarangs, as well, and a few extra gadgets- her older model of wrist computer, an extra grappling gun- and she shoved them into a box. She'd sneak out and put them in the mail box, the mailman would pick them up by morning. She'd already paid fir and printed out a next day shipping label from the ups website...

Bruce had come upstairs, now, and he knocked on her door.

"Feel like talking, yet?" she could see the confusion on his face when he saw her folding clothes, putting them into the suitcase.

"There's nothing to talk about. I'm leaving tomorrow."

Bruce's face fell. "Scarlet..."

"Prudence Academy for Young Ladies. I never thought I'd be going back there."

He stared at her. Was that- pity- in his gaze?

"What is it, Dad?" she snapped, venom apparent in her voice. "I'm never going to be good enough to be Sparrow. I'm never going to follow every fucking command! So I'm leaving. Without Sparrow and Dick, there's nothing for me here. And I can't live sleeping every night, knowing you're going on some suicide mission in Gotham. I'm going. My flight is scheduled for tomorrow morning."

"And there's nothing I can do to change your mind?"

"No. Get out."

Bruce turned to go.

"You're still my daughter, Scarlet." he said, though his back was to her, like he was speaking to the door.

"Yeah. But I don't want to be."

* * *

Her plane left at 5 AM the next day. She'd already left her box of gadgets in the mail, with next day delivery to Dick, and instructions on where to send them. Her brother would come through for her, she knew.

Bruce drove her to the airport instead of Alfred, like she was hoping. The car ride was painfully silent, and he pulled up in temporary parking at the airport, grabbing her bag from the back. She took it herself, though, and wheeled it through the door. She'd already printed her boarding pass, and after a short walk they reached security.

"This is it, then." Bruce said simply, trying to ignore the way she stared at the tiled floor instead of at him.

"You sure you want to do this?"

She nodded, still remaining silent. They stood like that for a moment, then, before she looked up at him.

"Goodbye." she nodded to him cooly, before turning and walking through the metal detectors. She'd checked her one bag, and she got through without any problem, slipping her shoes back on and studying the flight board, heading towards her gate. She didn't look back.

Bruce watched her go, getting smaller and smaller in the distance, and felt his heart ache. Why did it have to end this way? Couldn't she just accept the fact that he was trying to keep her safe, trying to do what was best for her?

And then she turned a corner and was gone, leaving him to drive home and realize how empty the manor was, and how awful it was to be alone.

* * *

Still, though- she'd never have dreamed she'd feel as free as she did, as relaxed as she was, when the escort from the school arrived her after her plane had touched down just outside of London.

Back when she'd been sent to boarding school at ten, earlier, she'd been a mess. She'd refused to eat, cried herself to sleep, and managed to sneak out not only do patrols as Sparrow, which Bruce never knew about, but also to get home sometimes, to try and convince Bruce she needed to come home. It was how she'd met the team, eventually.

"I trust you already know the layout of the school, Ms. Wayne?" the chipper escort asked.

"Yes. And it's Grayson- Scarlet Grayson. But you can call me Scarlet."

The escort laughed, and Scarlet realized with some trepidation they were driving on the left side of the road. She'd never get used to that.

"Ah, Ms. Grayson. I see you've forgotten. We adress one another only by formal titles at Prudence Academy, no? I'm Ms. Lukas- your head of house. I'll be keeping stock of you and your classmates. Luckily the term is only begining, and I'm sure you remember some old students- you'll have a grand time."

"Yeah..." she nodded, before placing her chin in her cupper hand. Her elbow was braced on the door to support it, and she felt, as always, bored. Still, she was assigned her schedule and room. She'd been given her own room- the parent shad thrown a hissy fit when they'd learned she'd wake up screaming and thrashing at all hours if the night, so she'd had to have her own room assigned to her.

She looked around. It was nice- some would call it luxurious, actually. A large four poster bed was in the center of the room, with intricate carvings int he base and headboard, and a velvet canopy and curtainz that draped down for privacy, though from what, she wasn't sure.

The antique dresser against the wall was made of the same glistening wood as the bed posts, and her feet sank into the plush purple carpet like quicksand. There was a tv mounted on the wall, as well, seventh two inches, directly across from the bed, as well as a nighttable and a pink uohilstered chair beside the window. She smiled, slightly. Not because she liked the room, or because she was happy to be gone, but because for once, she was in control of what she could and couldn't do.

It was the same, dark night when someone picked the lock on the window. They'd been installed in every room- top of the line, stainless steel locks, so no girls could be injured trying to sneak out. In reality,t hey'd been installed directly after she'd been caught trying to run away, back home, all those years ago...

She heard a satisfying click and smiled. Next, the motion sensors. She had no doubt the school had had them installed especially in her room, sinces he'd been such an escaoe artist earlier. She pulled out her wrist computer, doing some digging before shutting down the sensors for two minutes and picking her way carefully down the ivy on the side of the brick building.

As soon as she was on the ground, she pulled up the hood if her black hoodie, black sweat lants making her just another lurker of the night.

She peered forward. There were guards patroling the grounds st all times, and she waited for her eyes to adjust before her nightvison, honed from years working the Gotham streets, kicked in. One guard to her right, the other had judt rounded the corner.

She studied their patterns for a few minutes before breaking for it, running silently in a half-crouch across the green and vaulting over the five foot brick wall, to land on the sidewalk, off the school grounds, to safety.

From there, she melted inti the darkness of the alleys, smiling. She was home.

She took out her nose stud and kept her hood up in order to decrease her chances of being recognized, heading for the post office, pulling the key from her pocket. She'd kept a P.O. box reserved, paid the monthly fee for it from her allowance every months, since she might need it someday. Like right now.

She unlocked it, excited, pulling the box out. She locked it again, heading back towards campus. Thankfully, her boarding school had been built during world war one, and there were bmb shelters in the basement. She oicked the lock on the basement window, slid inside, and opened the door to the shelter, trooping upstairs, back to her room, and waiting for when the security cameras rotated before running back into her room.

And then there were birdarangs spread out on her bed, all over, her grappling gun, every gadget. She grinned. She was home.


	5. First Out

**Okay- forgot to upload this chapter- whoops! Anyways, can't give anything away as to whg's wrong with Sparrow, but rest assured- Bruce will be there!**

Her first two weeks at boarding school were wondeful. She'd run patrol of the surrounding streets at least four times a week, but she wasn't Sparrow anymore. She dressed in black, instead, and hung in the shadows of the night. Right now, she was observing the patterns of criminals. There were gangs, muggers, and the regular stoners who staggered around in the wee hours on the morning.

And she was finally ready for her debut. There was no way she'd don a costume again- there had been a literal press explosion the last time Sparrow had come here. arguments about vigilantes, and children vigilantes, had arisen, but the police of London had made on thing clear- she wasn't welcome here, and if they caught her in costume aiding or apprehending, they'd arrest her.

Not to mention if Bruce learned that, two weeks after she'd arrived in London, a vigilante had shown up, he'd pull her from boarding school in a heartbeat.

So she couldn't don a costume. It seemed like a costume drew too much attention, and attention was the last thing she wanted right now.

She looked at the black kevlar vest and shin-guards she had, pulling them on. All shewas wearing right now was some boxers and a sports bra. She pulled them on before pulling on the black spandex leggings- she'd chosen it because it blended in with the night, not to mention allowed a free range of motion. Next she pulled on the long-sleeved black underarmor- warm enough to fight off the fall chill. And then, the mask. A simple, domino mask, and black leather gloves. She was going for stealth here, not style.

She clipped on her utility belt before heading to the window, hacking the motion sensors and slipping outside. It was time to go.

* * *

She crouched on the top on the department store, the wind whipping her hair. She'd washed out the dye, it was it's normal, raven color, pulled back into a ponytail. She crouched on the rooftop in one of the worst neighborhood, staring down at the city below.

She'd easily scaled the rusted fire escape, and she crouched, growing restless. The crime here wasn't as rampid as Gotham, she reminded herself. British criminals did it differently.

As she was thinking this, a girl, about her age, in a red hoodie pulled up her hood, hurrying nervously down the street. It wasn't a good idea to be out at all in this neighborhood, much less at this hour.

She was intercepted by someone, then, he steped out of the alley in front of her. She didn't have time to react and bumped into him, falling back. She stared up for a moment, dazed, before the man seized her by her collar and slammed her against the brick wall.

Sparrow's eyes narrowed from her post. She could see the fear and shock in the girl's eyes, could see the knife hilt sticking out of the man's back pocket... But she didn't care.

She slid down a drainage pipe soundlessly, not wanting to alert the scum to her prescence by shooting off her grappling gun. She approached quietly, soundlessly crossing the street. The man was growling threats, and the terrified girl didn't notice her.

"Hey. Asshole." she deadpanned. The man whirled, looking highly offended.

"What did you just call me?"

"You might want to pick on someone your own size."

"Who are you to tell me what to do? You aren't the police." he sneered.

"Nope. I'm better than the police. Because I'm going to kick your ass."

He snarled, swinging at her. She ducked, clucking her tongue. "That the best you can do?"

"You arrogant bitch!" he swung again, and she ducked yet again, stepping back, doing the same as he swung again.

"Really. This is child's play. How're you going to join a gang if you can't even beat a little girl?"

He growled, grabbing the knife from his back pocket and flipping it out. "You wanna dance, bitch?"

There was the swish of the blade singing through the air, before it stopped dead. She'd seized his wrist and twisted it, forcing his hand open, and his blade hit the sidewalk with a clang.

From there, she moved, twisting his arm behind him. A swift kick to the back on the knee had him on the ground, and his face was being stuffed into the pavement.

"Goodnight, sleeping beauty." a smile graced her features in the darkness, and she slammed a pressure point in his neck, and he was out cold. She stood, looking up to see the terrified girl facing her with a mixture of shock and awe on her face.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. You have a phone?" she asked.

The girl stared blankly at her, and she mentally facepalmed. Of course. She was in Britain...

"A mobile. You have a mobile on you?"

Recognition dawned in the girl's eyes, and she nodded.

"Good. Call 91- no, forget that- 999- and get the police here."

The girl nodded, pulling out her phone and calling.

After a breif moment, she nodded. "There on their way." she said calmly.

Sparrow nodded. "You have any idea what he wanted?"

"No. You stepped in before he could say anything. Thank you."

Sparrow shrugged. "It's what I do. Tell the police what happened- I'll be watching from the rooftops until they get here. Just one last thing, okay?"

The girl nodded, looking to her for instruction.

"I was never here."

With that said, she headed for the fire escape and swung up onto it, leaping onto the next landing, swinging onto the next, and jumping up, catchign the next bar and sitting on the roof.

She watched quietly from the shadows until the police arrived, a squad car picking up both the girl and the thug, and she smiled. This was going to be so much easier than working the Gotham streets.


	6. Interesting Night

**OMG I TOTALLY SKIPPED UPLOADING A CHAPTER! I had to go back and uload it- in other words, the chaoter before this, First Out, is a chapter you guys haven't read! Sorry about that! Anyways, I'm still working in the new chapter- please review!**

**I'm not really into this whole 'returning to school after break' thing. Meh. On the bright side, I have a magical STUDY HALL! (not really. it's called lunch. I just use it like one) in which i write a fantastic amount of words. I try to write on the bus as well, but since it's still before 7 AM most of the time, half of it makes no sense whatsoever. But I did my best! Please review! :)**

**Also- please don't be too harsh on Scarlet for leaving. Hormones, frustration, and judt plain rashness and spite towards Bruce for taking away Sparrow contributed to her decision. This chapter goes more in-depth into it- both she and Bruce said some things they didn't really mean, as people will do when angry, so... Please review! )**

Bruce stared at his phone, praying Scarlet would text him back. His heart was aching- he'd never realized how quiet it was without her until she was gone.

He looked at the clock and felt a pang. Normally at this time she'd be running nside, home from school. He'd hear her drop her bag by the door, the running feet, before she headed down to the cave to train...

Instead, he was greeted by eerie silence.

He'd texted her six times since she left three weeks ago. He'd wanted to know how she was doing, was worried about her, but he didn't want to seem over bearing. That was what had driven her away from him in the first place, afterall.

It was midnight where she was, right now, in Britain, and he didn't want to text her and wake her up...

Suddenly his phone dinged. It was only a small text, but it was enough to make him smile when he read it.

_I luv u, Daddy_

Things weren't broken beyond fixing, then. He knew it'd crushed her when he'd taken away Sparrow. That was who she was, afterall, a major part of her. Still, he'd wanted to protect her. She'd fought off rapists before, though, as well as ohsycopaths and serial killers, and maybe he had been over-protective...

She was growing up. And he hated it. Why couldn't she just stay that little five year old girl eith the raven hair and crystal blue eyes? The one who would wriggle into bed with him during a thunder storm and cling to him until he'd calmed her down enough and she slept. The one who'd nearly stated the watch tower on fire trying to make him muffins for fathers day?

Still, she was adjusting to being a civilian, thankfully. He had enough to worry about with Dick striking out on his own in Blüdhaven, the last thing he needed was two rebellious children to worry about.

But he smiled.

_I love you too, Scarlet. Get some sleep._

* * *

Sparrow sent the text, staring at the ohone screen. She hadn't talked to Bruce much while she'd been here- it was the begining of her third week in London. And she was in deep.

That was why she'd sent the text. She'd uncovered a gang shipping illegal arms around London, she'd been keeping tabs on them since the time she'd arrived here. And tonight she was going to bust up a major deal.

She'd kept her vigilante activity in London well hidden- if the Scotland Yard (police, for all you non-british fanatics out there) knew about her activities, which they undoubtedly did, they were keeping it under wraps. They didn't want to population to know that they couldn't control their own citizens. Not to mention the fac tthat she was doing a substantial job. If word got out that a single person was doing such a good job, more than most officers, it would be a total embarassment. Which was a good thing, since the ladt thing she wanted was a public witchhunt for vigilantes.

But that wasn't why she'd sent the text. It was because she'd been feeling pangs of homesickness, and guilt. Maybe she'd been to hard on Bruce. She'd made a split second decision when she was mad and had snapped at him- she hadn't really thought things through. But tonight she was going out, and she might not come back. So she'd sent the text calmly, since she couldn't go out there and risk the fact that she'd died and her last words to bruce had been angry ones.

She stood, heading for the window. Enough time wasted on reminiscing. She'd already been chatting with Dick on her laptop earlier that day, she was on good terms with him. She had a feeling Dick knew more about what she was doing in London than he let on, but she didn't have anything solid to back it up yet...

She was halfway out into the night when her phone dinged from where it sat on the bed. She stopped for a minute, wondering if she should go check it.

She was afraid Bruce would be mad at her, still, wondered what he'd say...

She turned back and read the text, since she might never get the chance too after tonight. She smiled when she read it, feeling relieved. _I love you too, Scarlet. Get some sleep._

So he still loved her. She felt weak in the knees, relieved. After she'd left, angry, after she'd told Bruce she didn't want to be his daughter anymore... She was afraid he'd hate her and write her off.

She hadn't meant it, hadn't meant ANY of it, she'd just been so ANGRY at him for taking away being Sparrow. It was like he was intentionally hurting her, taking away something that was pratically her LIFE. At least, that was how she'd seen it at the moment. But now she wasn't so sure...

She had to go. She'd staked out the place where the arms deal was taking place, but that didn't mean that taking these guys down would be any easier. The one colsolation she had, though, was that if something went horribly wrong, she'd die knowing she still had a father.

* * *

"Shit." she hissed, limping back towards the academy. Her left arm was wrapped around her torso, trying in vain to ease the pain. She'd managed to take a bullet. Thank god it'd hit the kevlar. She probably just had very bruised ribs.

Still, it hurt pretty badly. Not to mention she was nursing a sprained ankle when she'd landed wrong jumping away from the bullets. And she was freezing, and had a heck of a headache- probably from all the gunfire.

Not to mention the fact she'd barely escaped Scotland Yard. They still hated vigilantes, apparently, since they'd been drawn to the sounds of gunfire in the back alleys and had barked orders to arrest her as she cuffed the last mobster.

She'd had to duck and dodge through numerous alleys and run six blocks to loose them all, which wasn't exactly easy with her ankle like it was.

She sighed, letting out a breath. It clouded before her, and she was surprised. Maybe it was colder than she'd thought...

She reached the brick wall surrounding the campus, now, and she tiredly peered over it, making sure the guards were busy, before painfully hauling herself over and hobbling towards the ivy. She climbed the ancient vines before ducking in through her window, falling onto the floor of her room in an exhausted heap.

She laid there for a few minutes, mustering the strength to get up, before pulling off her under armor shirt, then the kevlar vest, wincing as she frlt her tender chest and seeing the bruise already forming.

Still, it wasn't bad, and she used a pen to dig out the bullet. The vest would have to do until she could order a new one without Bruce knowing. And besides, what were the chances she'd be shot in the exact same place again?

She winced, sinking down and working the spandex off. It was a long, painful task, but it was done soon enough. She peeled off her shin guards, as well, ditching her gloves and mask before heading towards the wall of her room.

She'd discovered years ago that the walls of each dorm had about of foot of space between them. It allowed for wires and plumbing to be run through them effectively, since the camous had been built in the nineteenforties. It also affoarded a ton of room for hiding things.

She folded up her gear, placing it all in the worn cardboard box and heading towards the small section she'd cut away from the wall, feeling until she felt the panel of lavendar and white striped wallpaper give way and pushing in, revealing the secret compartment. She slid the box in, then worked the piece if drywall back inti place, sliding a beanbag chair in front of it for good measure.

She pulled on a shirt ten times too big for her and smiled slightly, realizing it was Bruce's. She'd often wear her father's shirts for comfort while he was out "working" at night. They were ciomfortable, and smelled like him. She didn't even know she'd packed it, but it was a welcome surprise. She pulled on a pair of teal sweatpants as well, sighing, before falling into bed, crawling beneath the covers. The matress seemed to soothe her aching muscles all over again, and sleep didn't bother to becon, but rather, seized her and plunged her into the blissful darkness of dormancy.

* * *

She woke up and thought someone was sitting on her chest. But no, she just felt... heavy.

She swallowed, feeling her throat ache, and sighed. Maybe going out last night hadn't been her best idea. But still, she had classes to get to. She staggered to her feet, aching body protesting all the while. She started wondering if she'd been injected with some seditive or something last night.

But still, that wouldn't explain why her head was so stuffed up, or why she felt the persistent need to cough. She glanced at her phone, which was on the nightstand. She had time for a shower, and she quietly entered the en suite, ditching her clothes and turning on the water. Oddly enough, she didn't feel warm enough until it was pratically burning her skin off, and even then, she felt cold...

It was probably just a bug or something.

All of a sudden she stumbled, almost falling headlong into the wall of the tub but catching herself at the last second. She blinked sluggishly, shocked. She almost never lost her balance, and it'd been so sudden...

She decided it might be best to get out of the shower, before she fell and cracked her head open, and she turned off the water and fumbled eith the shower curtain, stepping out to be met with a blast of cold air...

She took one step and nearly face-planted. Maybe getting a shower hadn't been such a good idea... She leaned against the sink for a moment. She was shaking like a leaf, so cold, and she groped for a towel before wrapping herself in it, stumbling into her room.

She tugged on a pair of pants and a hoodie before climbing back into bed, cocooning herself in the sheets, trying desperately to get warm. A moment kater, she felt like she was spinning around again. She closed her eyes, trying to shake off the feeling. But before she knew it, sleep had dragged her away again...


	7. H1N1

**So- my parents are mad. A deer got hit by a car and died in my yard, so I, having the brilliant idea to get the skull, since my friends collect deer skulls, cut the head off with a hacksaw and started to strip the flesh away with a pocket knife. Then my Dad found me and flipped out and said I'd get flesh eating bacteria. So yeah- I've got 24 hours to live. I'll try and post as much as I can before I buy the farm... Lol! JK, though I did cut off the deer head... not my brightest moment.**

**Anyways, this chapter has... JASON! Everyone's favorite hero who's a little rough around the edges! I LOVE JASON! please review and tell me what you think!**

Bruce's phone rang. It was six in the morning, and he was looking across the table at his newest addition to the Wayne family- Jason.

He cast a glance at his phone, about to turn it off, when he sa the caller ID. His brows furrowed, a worried expression came over his face, and he grabbed it and quickly left the room.

Jason could hear words being said, though he couldn't make them out, and he was, in all honestly, too busy eating Cocoa Puffs. He hadn't had food readily available when he was living on the streets, and though he'd been here for two weeks, he was still getting used to it.

He looked up when Bruce entered the room again. The man didn't bother to look at him, instead saying something to Alfred before heading out of the room.

"Alfred? Where's he going?" Jason asked. Suddenly the sixteen year old felt incredibly out of the loop.

Alfred gave him a patronizing smile. "Regrettably, Master Jason, Master Bruce has a rather urgent situation he must attend to."

"You mean Batman?" Jason asked. He'd been training hard, maybe he'd finally be allowed to help...

"No. As Bruce Wayne, my dear boy. Just a slight issue. Please, don't concern yourself."

Jason nodded. Still, he was curious... He'd find out later, though.

* * *

"What's wrong with her?" Bruce asked seriously as he walked the halls of the hospital, the doctor beside him.

"We aren't certain, Mr. Wayne..."

Of course these idiots wrren't certain. If she'd been at home, he could've easily done a bacteria culture and a toxology screen by now. He was kicking himself for even sending her here. She was safer at home...

"It appears to be the swine flu."

He stopped dead. "What's her condition?"

"She's doing as well as can be expected, Mr. Wayne. Running a fever and dehydrated, though, She hasn't been awake long enough to speak to us..."

Bruce wanted to kick himself down the hallway. Of course, he should've known

The swine flu was sweeping across the US, why would it be any different in the UK? He should've gotten her vaccinated...

"Let me assure you, Mr. Wayne, we're providing the best care..." the doctor was continuing with his speech.

"What room is she in?" Bruce interrupted. He could care less about ettiquite, now, his daughter was in the hospital...

"The last room to the left. But I can assure you, Mr. Wayne, she's recieving the best treatment..."

He ignored the man, walking into the room, eyes examining her nervously. She'd been hurt before, he'd been in this situation so many times with his children, but that worried, anxious gnawing in the pit of his stomach never ceased when he was seeing the damage.

She was incredibly pale, save firthe feverish flush in her cheeks, there was an IV in her arm, and her eyes were closed. She looked to be peacefully sleeping, and he stepped forward, leaning close to her and placing his jand against her forehead. He could feel the heat there, not normal heat, but burning. He opened his eyes, surprised.

"Scarlet?" he asked quietly, voice barely above a whisper. She moaned, wriggling a little. He trailed his hand down her cheek in an affectionate, soothing gesture.

He noticed what looked like a vomit stain on her shirt. The hospital, thankfully, hadn't changed her out of her clothes, or they'd have seen the scars from her hero days. Still, it broke his heart to think she'd been here, alone, vomiting and feverish, without him nearby to calm her down.

"Has she had any nightmares?" he asked the doctor quietly. Normal nightmares were awful by themselves, but when she was running a fever... Night terrors weren't uncommon.

The doctor, thankfully, shook his head.

He looked at her and made his decision, then. She'd be more comfortable at home, not to mention he trusted the doctors there and knew he could monitor her better in the med bay of the bat cave.

"I want her discharge papers."

"Pardon? Mr. Wayne, I see no reason why..."

"She'll be treated back in Gotham." he held his finger to his earpiece. "Ready the jet." was all he said, before nodding to the doctor, waiting for the discharge papers.

* * *

She came to, the first thing she was aware if was the rythemic buzzing. She winced, brining a heavy arm to her head. She felt like crap, and she didn't dare open her eyes...

The second thing she took notice of was the dull, throbbing ache that seemed ti revrebrate through her entire being. And the third was... a hand in her own?

Her eyelids fluttered open, surprised, and through the blinding light she could just make out Bruce.

"Go back to sleep, Scarlet. We're almost home." he reassured her.

She couldn't, though. What was wrong with her? Had she been poisoned, that night, during the drugs bust? Did he know about her patrols around London?

She licked her dry lips. "W-what's wrong with me?

"Flu. Go back to sleep, Scarlet."

She was about to oblige when she realized something. BRUCE was HERE.

"You... you came." she muttered softly.

Bruce's expression took on a hurt look.

"Of course I came, Scarlet." he said, reaching out to smooth back her hair in a soothing gesture. "I'd go to the ends of the earth to get you. Now- sleep."

She nodded, eyes fluttering closed, snd Bruce continued to stroke her hair until he was sure she was asleep.

He looked up. They'd be landing in half an hour. A half an hour until she was home.

* * *

It was midnight. But that didn't mean anything to Jason Todd. He was busy training- so far, he'd seldom been allowed on patrol with Bruce. That pissed him off. He was Robin, for pete's sake! He should be beside Batman ALWAYS. Bruce's excuse- he didn't have the training.

So what time it was didn't mean anything to him. Whenever he woke up or found his nocturnal side kicking in, he trained- hours upon hours, until he either fell asleep or Alfred forced him to stop and eat.

He'd been at it for three hours so far, tonight. The punching bag and his hands were slick with his blood- his kunckles had long since split. But he didn't care. The pain with each punch just woke him up, made him even more determined. And if Bruce saw the healing knuckles... Maybe he'd see just how devoted his new son was.

He was feeling tired, and Alfred would be mad if he wasn't in bed by one. He breifly wondered where Bruce had gone. He hadn't seen the man all day.

He gave up the ghost, finally, a half-an hour later, toweling off his bloody knuckles and walking towards the man center of the cave. He passed the medbay and saw her, then.

His brow furrowed. She was little, looked to be only thirteen or so. She had an IV but no visible injuries he could see. Still, she was a civilian, and she was in the bat Cave...

A heavy hand landed on his shoulder, and he turned to face Bruce, his questions written on his face.

"Her name is Scarlet Grayson."

"You mean that girl you adopted before me?" he asked quietly.

Bruce nodded. "She's been at boarding school. She's got the swine flu- I brought her home today. I don't want you near her- you aren't vaccinated. As far as you're concerned, Scarlet is upstairs in her room being treated, not here. Understood?"

Jason nodded, but his brow was creased. "I-wasn't she a hero?" he asked quietly. "I mean, Sparrow..."

Bruce stiffened slightly. "She used to be a hero, yes."

"Why not still one?"

"She didn't follow orders." Bruce said simply. "As I said, you aren't to concern yourself with her." and with that, the man briskly walked away, leaving Jason to wonder about just who Scarlet Grayson was.


	8. Night Terrors

**(to the tune of Happy Birthday) I am so-o sorry! I am so-o sorry! I didn't update, for awhile now, I am so-o sorry!**

**There! :) I sung you the sorry song, so do y'all forgive me? I really hope so! Anyways, Here's my chapter- a moment between Jason and Scarlet, basically.**

**Jason Todd has to be my second favorite Robin, if he's not equal with Dick, since he's so badass, yet so insecure and vulnerable. He's a little rough around the edges during his time as Robin, but his heart is in the right place. I'm trying to characterize him as tough but protective, trying to please and protect those he loves. It may not be that evident in this chapter, since he's just meeting Scarlet, but I hope it is. **

**Please review!**

The next two days were normal for Jason. He ate, slept, and trained for hours on end. Bruce worked, but he came home earlier than usual to spend the evening sitting beside Scarlet, before leaving for patrol, and spending another hour or so by her bedside before heading to work again.

He had to admit, he was slightly jealous. Ever since Scarlet had come home, Bruce had been blowing him off, refusing to train with him or take him on patrol. It seemed like she was getting the most attention.

He peered over at her from where he'd been working on the punching bag, catching a glimpse of her incredibly pale face and mentally admonishing himself. The kid was sick- really sick, with the way Bruce was acting. It wasn't like she'd ASKED to be on bed with a high fever. In fact, he'd never seen her awake, so brief were her waking moments.

Still, he couldn't help but remain a little jealous. He wondered is Bruce would do the same if it were him sick in bed, wondered if he'd finally found someone who cared...

More than jealousy, though, he was curious. He'd never seen the kid awake before, and technically, since Bruce had adopted him, as well, they were siblings...

It was on the second night when his curiosity was finally satisfied...

Bruce was gone on patrol and would be for the next few hours. He normally would've spent the time training, resenting that he'd, yet again, been left behind.

Instead, he found himself sitting in the rolling office chair, twenty feet or so from the doorway to the infirmary, with a clear view of Scarlet.

He didn't know why, but it was relaxing to watch her sleep. Maybe it was caring, he supposed, or maybe Bruce's paranoia was rubbing off on him. Either way, he'd been told to stay away from her... Still, he pushed off the ground with his toes, which were curled inside his sneakers, scooting the rolling chair a few feet closer. He was still staying away, technically...

He cast a glance at her, realizing her eyes were open. Suddenly he was slightly unsure. Should he say something? No, maybe he should let her wake up more, she might be scared if she woke up to find some stranger in an office chair staring at her from a distance...

It was then he noticed her eyes were glassy, like she wasn't there. Suddenly her whole body tensed, she sucked in a breath, and there was a terrifying, blood-curdling scream...

He jumped out of the chair, startled, before watching, horrified, as she started to thrash around like she was possessed...

He fell to his knees, covering his ears. She was screaming in a language he couldn't understand, but he understood one thing- those were the screams of a terrified child.

The monitors she was hooked up to had started beeping, her heart was pounding...

He staggered to his feet, stumbling into the room and seizing her shoulders, pinning her down.

"Scarlet!" He yelled over her screams as she struggled against him. "Scarlet, listen to me! It's gonna be okay, kid! It's gonna be okay!"

Her screams had shortened to desperate panting, but she still struggled fiercely, and he could see the terror in her eyes.

"Hey. Hey, it's alright. Listen to the sound of my voice, okay, kid? Just listen to my voice..." He forced his voice to be calm, though he felt anything but calm at the moment.

She whimpered- her whole body was trembling, he could feel her shaking from where he still had a firm grip on her shoulders...

"Shh, kid, it's gonna be okay..."

She blinked sluggishly, looking up at him, confused. "D-dick?" she asked hoarsely, locking her blue eyes with his own.

"Yeah, it's me, kid." He had no idea who Dick was, but he'd be anyone, do anything, to calm her down right now.

"He was gonna kill us, Dick. He was gonna kill us all." She said seriously, before her eyes fluttered closed and she was perfectly still again.

Jason nearly shuddered, feeling his skin crawl. That'd been creepy, so creepy... He looked down at Scarlet, suddenly pitying her. She must've been through hell, walked through the hottest fires of it, to have nightmares like that.

He reached out to brush her bangs from her face, hesitating for a moment when she whimpered again, but continuing anyways. The hair was plastered to her face with sweat, and while he gently moved it away he could feel the heat radiating off her skin...

"Shh. It's alright, kid, I won't let anyone hurt you..."

Slowly, she stopped trembling and settled into a fitful, feverish sleep.

Jason noticed she'd torn out her IV- probably from all the thrashing. He shuddered at the sight of it. God, he hated needles. He'd been raised in the narrows, where needles were everyone's constant companion. He'd been around so many people, had to pull out his friend's needles when they went into fits from overdoses, or put it back in when they started to rage at him. He still remembered the track marks on his mother's arms. Still,, it'd been for morphine, to try and help take away the pain from the cancer...

He swallowed and came back into the moment, pinching her arm to raise a vein, quickly taking the needle and sliding it back into her arm with practiced expertise he wish he didn't have. She didn't flinch.

He checked the monitor- her fever was 103.1. He swallowed, forcing his hands to stop shaking and sitting down beside her bed.

"So- you gonna start screaming again, or what?" he asked. She didn't respond, and he sighed. He wished she would just _talk_... Even if she was delirious, it'd be better than the unnatural paleness of her skin, and the way he found himself anxiously watching the rise and fall of her chest to be sure she was still breathing.

It was that moment that he remembered Bruce had told him to stay away from Scarlet. He grinned slightly to himself, shaking his head. Screw what Bruce said- this kid was sick and scared, and there was no way he was going to leave her alone when she could start freaking out again at any minute.

"So- you're my adopted sister." he said, scrutinizing her. She still didn't respond. He hadn't expected a response, but he realized that in some deep recess of his mind, he'd been hoping for one...

She was soaked in sweat, and he wet down some bandages, wiping off her face, just like he'd done for his mother all those years ago...

Maybe it was carting, or maybe just habit from when his Mom had been sick- but he sat beside her for three hours, silently, just watching her sleep. She woke up once, but wasn't lucid, and he managed to get some water into her after a particularly bad coughing fit. Otherwise, she slept on.

It was at 3:47am when he heard the car door slam and started, jumping to his feet. Bruce was home...

He couldn't get caught here. Bruce had told him not to go near her, plus he didn't want to admit he'd been caring for her... He'd been on his own for so long on the streets, and as far as he was concerned, caring was weakness.

He dove behind a desk, stilling himself and taking shallow breaths as Bruce rounded the corner, cowl down. He didn't notice Jason, instead walking straight into the medbay to sit beside Scarlet.

He pulled off a gauntlet to feel her forehead, frowning, wetting a compress and placing it on her forehead before exiting the room to change out of his cowl and no doubt return to spend the rest of the night sitting beside her.

Slowly, Jason stood, taking a look at her. He couldn;t stay here, Bruce would find him, but he had felt like he had to at least say _something_...

"Goodnight, kid."

**Well, what do you think? I'm sorry for all you non-Jason fans out there, but Jason will be prevalent in some chapters (definitely not all of them) because I LOVE JASON! His death will be included, as well :(. And then His freakin' awesome resurrection into the Red Hood! Please review- do you lik the Jason/Scarlet dynamic? I know we haven't seen much of the Scarlet side, since she's kinda having night terrors, but tell me what you think! :)**


	9. Birds of a Feather

**Like you guys have said, this bird rendezvous has been a long time coming. I didn't make it Scarlet-centric like the last few chapters have been, either- I wanted to show the viewpoints ofeveryone onvolved, and i really think this chapter does it. Tell me what you think and please review!**

Jason woke up the next morning, grabing a cup of yogurt before heading downstairs to the batcave, plopping himself in the chair beside her bed and starting to eat.

He didn't expect her to wake up, and even if she did, he wasn't sure what he'd say. So he was caught off guard when, twenty minutes later, she moaned and her eyes fluttered open.

He figured she'd probably drift off again as long as he staid still, he figured, but she blinked rapidly, waiting for her vision to come into focus.

Her head ached, her throat was on fire, and everything ached.

"Bruce?" she muttered, propping herself up on one elbow.

"He's at work." Jason said after a moments hesitation.

"Right. Who are you?" she looked at him carefully, giving him a slightly crooked smile. He reminded himself the kid had a high fever- she probably wasn't going to remember any of this.

With that in mind, he spoke. "I'm Jason. Your older brother."

"Bruce adopted you?"

"Yeah." he was surprised she could put that together, with the fever of 102 she was running.

"That's cool." she said hoarsely, blinking again. "He tell you about me?"

"Yeah. He spends every minute he can down here- when he isn't at work or on patrol."

"He lied. I followed orders- he was just overprotective. I did what I had to..." her eyes fluttered closed, and she opened them a minute later.

"Are you gonna be Robin?" she asked. Her voice cracked painfully at the end, and she settled into a barking cough after a moment.

"I-yeah. I am."

"Cool."

He blinked. He'd expected her to be pissed as hell since he was taking the place of her brother, who, from what Bruce had told him, was the original Robin. He was also HIS brother, he realized, with some trepidation. Scarlet seemed okay with him, but the first Robin, the golden child... That was a new prospect all together.

He looked over to see Scarlet trying to keep herself awake. It was kind of adorable, really- her eyelids would grow heavy and almost be completely closed, when she'd snap herself awake and blink sleepily like a little owl.

Still, she was running a fever, and he realized she was trying to stay awake so she could talk to him more.

He smiled. "You can go to sleep, you know. I won't get mad or anything."

And just like that, she was out like a light. Jason chuckled. This big brother thing wasn't half-bad.

* * *

It was 1:37 in the morning when he realized he was wrong. Bruce was on patrol, and he'd been sitting beside Scarlet when she sat bolt upright. It was a moment later he realized what was going to happen. He grabbed a bedpan from th counter and barely managed to get it under her chin before she was puking and crying.

He stared, unsure what to do for a minute, trying to awkwardly rub her back in some sort of soothing gesture, while still managing keep the bedpan in front of her.

The worst part was watching her struggle. She retched uncontrollably, even though she was mostly dry-heaving, with only a mouthful of bile coming up every now and then.

"J-jason..." she choked out between gagging, eyes full of tears streaming down her face. "Make it stop..."

And the total helplessness hit him.

It was most likely only a minute or so, but it felt like an eternity. He could tell it hurt, it must've the way she was crying and gasping and retching... Just when he felt like he couldn't take it anymore, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He turned around, eyes wide, to see someone about a half a foot than him standing, with raven hair and blue eyes. He recognized him from the pictures around the manor- he was Dick Grayson, the golden boy.

He blinked for a moment, shocked, before Dick took the bedpan from him and took his place comforting Scarlet. He spent a moment in managing to quiet Scarlet before he turned to Jason again, blue eyes concerned.

"Could you get us a glass of water?"

"Right..." Jason hurried over to the sink, trying to block out Scarlet's gagging. God, he hated to see her in pain like this...

"It'll be over soon, Scarlet. Just relax for me, alright?" Dick was soothing her. She did her best to obey, but she'd woken up feeling sick, incredibly hot, and dizzy. Not to mention the bile and wretching made her already sore, raw throat feel like she was puking up molten glass, and her chest was burning from it too.

Still, after a moment or two she was calm, catching her breath.

"Alright?" Dick asked, taking the glass from Jason. Scarlet nodded. As soon as she was breathing regularly, Dick handed her the glass.

"Rinse." he said simply, and she obeyed, rinsing the nasty taste from her mouth before spitting the water into the bedpan, shakily setting the glass on the bedside table. Dick grabbed a trash bag from under the bed, tossing the pan into it and knotting it, before settling into the chair beside Scarlet.

"How're you feeling?" he asked, the concern shining in those blue eyes.

She gave him a wane smile. "Freaking wonderful." she croaked.

Dick's face took on a sad expression. "Sorry I wasn't here earlier. I just got Bruce's message yesterday, and I couldn't get off the graveyard beat in 'haven..."

Jason hovered near the doorway, feeling like he was intruding on somethign but not sure if he should leave or not.

"'S fine. I was asleep for most of the time, anyways. And Jay was with me." she looked over at Jason, dull eyes brightening a little.

Dick nodded towards Jason, gaze warm and friendly, as always, before he turned back to his main focus- Scarlet.

"You feel up to watching a movie?" he asked calmly.

"Mehhh..." she hesitated, coughing a little and wincing as she felt her throat burn.

"It's Frozen." Dick said, pulling the DVD from behind his back temptingly.

Scarlet had to smile. He knew she loved Frozen. He'd taken her ti see it opening night with her, before he'd moved out...

"Okay."

"Yes! You know I can't watch this alone! I always cry..." Dick teased, before gently sliding the IV from her arm and picking her up bridal style. She giggled slightly, eyes lighting up. Dick was here, and suddenly, she was distracted from all the awful symptoms...

Jason hesitated, not sure he should follow them. But a moment later, Dick ducked his head back into the room. "You coming?" he asked, looking concerned.

"Um... yeah." and so he followed them upstairs. They emerged from behind the grandfather clock. Dick swung open the door to the media center, settking Scarlet down on the leather sectional, popping the DVD into the DVD player and getting everything set up.

Jason felt awkward once again, but trooped into the kitchen, grabbing a bag of chips and a few juice boxes before heading back into the room, setting everything on the coffee table.

He settled on Scarlet's other side just as Dick hit a button on the remote. The lights dimmed, leaving the TV screen as the center of attention as Dick hit play, flopping on the couch beside Scarlet.

The movie began to play, and Jason, once again, felt like the third wheel as Scarlet curled up against Dick's side, and he put his arm around her. Around half-way through the movie, she was fast asleep.

Jason sucked absently on his juice box, listening to the dry bubbling sound it made since it was empty. They weren't at a particularly interesting part of the movie, and he felt like he should say something...

Dick turned to look at him calmly. "Jason, right?" he asked. He wasn't condescending or cold, but he seemed serious.

"Yeah." Jason said, suddenly feeling like an idiot talking to Dick Grayson, THE ORIGINAL ROBIN, with a juice box in hand. He set it on the coffee table.

"Bruce expects you to be Robin?" Dick asked, still serious.

Under normal circumstances, Jason would've snapped at Dick. But he had been the first Robin, the original, and he felt like he owed him some kind of respect. "Yeah." he said again.

"Take care of him." Dick's voice was slightly quieter. He wasn't listening to the movie anymore, instead staring absently at the coffee table. "He doesn't know when to stil. Bruce, I mean. He'd overprotective and controlling, sometimes, but no matter what, you have his back. He's a good man."

Jason nodded his agreement, and they sat in comfortable silence for a moment, the first comfortable silence Jason had felt all night.

Finally, Jason lifted his eyes and spoke. "What happened to her?" he asked, nodding towards Scarlet.

Dick looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"She was Sparrow. Bruce told me. She isn't a hero anymore, though..."

"Oh." Dick said simply. He had his own suspicions about Scarlet's hero status, but he didn't mention anything to Jason. "Like j said- Bruce can be controlling. She got tired of it, I guess, like I did. I was 18 when we finally parted ways- I could leave. She couldn't. So when Bruce banned her from being a hero, she asked to be sent to boarding school."

"Oh." This time it was Jason's turn to be toneless, not bitter, but simply absorbing the information.

Finally, he looked over at Dick hesitantly. Dick met his gaze, and he quickly looked away. He chanced a glance back towards Dick- the more expirienced hero was keeping a steady gaze with him, waiting for him to spit out whatever it was he wanted to say. So he did.

"You think I can make it?" he asked quietly.

"As Robin, you mean?" Dick asked.

Jason nodded.

"Considering the fact your knuckles are as scabbed as heck, you're almost as bullheaded as me, and you're tough- but not too tough to forget to pity the weak, then yes, I'd say you'll make it. But it won't be easy." Dick said simply.

Jason stared, slightly shocked. All his life, he'd just been that boy living in the narrows, that urchin, that theif stealing whatever he could to survive, eith all the boys his age protected by gangs and the demons that stalked him whispering in his ear that he'd never amount to anything... And the person he'd envied most, the person he'd IDOLIZED, had just told him he could BE something. That meant the world to him.

* * *

It'd been a gruelling night on patrol- Scarecrow had escaped arkham, but Bruce had nailed him once again, and Gotham was safe. He found he was actually looking forward to having Jason as Robin. The job was a lot more taxing, a lot more disturbing, when you were alone.

He peered into thr infirmary, finding it empty. His heartbeat quickened a litlle, and he jogged upstairs. Scarlet had been alone, Jason wasn't allowed o see her, unless Dick had come...

He noticed the door to the media center was ajar and swung it open. He couldn't help but smile at what he saw.

Scarlet was curled up against Dick, and Jason huddled up against the couch arm, face buried in the leather...

He'd called Dick yesterday to tell him about Scarlet, and he smiled slightly, carrying Jason to his respective room. Scarlet seemed to be well enough to be out of the infirmary, but he carried her up to his room all the same- he wanted to be near her incase she needed something.

He returned, at last, for Dick. The boy was around one hundred eight pounds or so, but he was Batman- and it was easy for Bruce to carry him upstairs towards his childhood room. He couldn't help but smile to himself as he did- it'd been YEARS since he'd carried his eldest up to bed.

He laid him in bed, noticing some scratches on the his son's arm- long scratches that started on his forearm and ended at his hand. He was still wearing his Bludhaven PD shirt, a long sleeved white dress shirt with his badges on it and black pants.

And he slept like the dead. He was working as a rookie, now, no doubt working all the beats he could to get by. He brushed the hair from his son's face affectionately. He supposed Dick's job wasn't really that different than Batmans. He just hoped Nightwing stayed safe.

Still, Dick was 18. He wanted to be a man, go out on his own, and Bruce was slowly realizing he couldn't coing to those days of the past. He wished Dick was still that cackling thirteen ear old boy by his side, but he wasn't. And he was learning how to adjust.

"Goodnight, Dick."

* * *

Dick woke up in his childhood room, not sure how he got there. He was surprised to find it was eight in the morning- he had an hour to get back to Blüdhaven for his next shift.

He sighed, getting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He slipped into the bathroom, splashing water on his face and taming his unruly hair. His uniform wasn't that wrinkled, and he figured he could head to work in it without anyone realizing he hadn't changed clothes.

He headed for the stairs. He met Bruce on the way down, nodding cooly to his father.

"Dick- wait." Bruce said quietly. Dick stopped. Dick had figured they were alright- their relationship wasn't great, but they had to be on at least good terms since he'd told him about Scarlet and let him to sleep there.

"You can always come back here, you know." he said, eyes studying his eldest worriedly.

"Thanks." Dick smiled. It was rare that Bruce was like this, speaking about something besides business.

"Are you coming back tonight?" Bruce asked calmly.

"I have to patrol 'haven." Dick said, shaking his head. "I have tomorrow off, thoug. Do you want me to come hom?" he asked, brow creased.

"I figured Scarlet would like you here." Bruce said calmly, and Dick smiled. That was Bruce speak for yes.

"Alright, then. I'll be here." His watch beeped and he looked down at it. He had forty minutes to get back to Blüdhaven for his shift.

Bruce noticed the preoccupied look in his son's eyes and place his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Be careful, alright?"

"I will, Bruce. I was trained by the best." Dick said, giving his father a grin before heading out the door. Bruce looked after him worriedly- He wished he could keep the boy here, but he had his own life to live.

But if he ever got in too deep, he knew where to run.

**Well? How'd I do? Please review! **


	10. Restless

**Next chapter- woo! Alright, this chapter is mainly about Scarlet/Bruce finding out more about one another, Scarlet debating wether or not she can trust Jason, and in the end, a bit of a cliffie. **

**As you guys have probably noticed, Two Little birds is on hiatus- I accidentally deleted some chapters and need some time to try snd find the backup. Please R&R!**

She rose with the sun the next day, feeling much better than she had last night. The last three days had been a feverish haze for her, there was hardly anything she remembered, except for feeling like total crap and crying and... Jason.

Still, she headed downstairs to find Alfred had already made her chicken soup- it was an unspoken rule here at the manor. When one was sick, they ate chicken soup for breakfast, lunch and dinner until they were fever-free. It was one of Alfred's rules, but Alfred made delicious soup, so she wasn't complaining.

Jason nodded to her- he was eating what looked to be yogurt.

"Bruce at work?" she asked, voice not as hoarse as it'd been earlier.

"Yeah. Glad to see you're feeling better." Jason said, a small smile on her face. She gave him a weak smile as well. She still felt incredibly shaky, like she'd blow away in the wind or if she tried to climb a flight of stairs, but she'd get over it.

She spent the morning with Jason, flicking TV channels and talking about whatever popped into their heads, before Jason went downstairs to see how he was with the training bots.

And she was left alone with the naggingly persistant thought. She'd been in bed for days- her cardio was probably going down. She needed to train. Even without a city to patrol here, London would be waiting for her when she got back.

She forced herself to her feet, staggering towards the secret staircase and shakily making her way down the stone steps, ignoring how shaky she felt.

Jason was nowhere in sight, which was probably a good thing. He'd try and talk her out of this- and she needed it, NEEDED to train. She made her way towards the punching bag, taking a shaky breath and getting into a fighting stance. She could do this.

Her lungs burned and screamed for air, but despite it all, she forced herself to keep going, keep throwing techniques. She'd started gasoing for air, of course, but that had never stopped her before. Kick, punch punch, kick, jab, punch...

After three minutes if continuous techniques, she didn't have a choice anymore. Her knees buckled under her and she was on the ground, rasping for breath. And then she started coughing, which ked to dry heaving, like her body was trying to express just how displeased it was with her by torturing her.

Finally it stopped, and she just laid there on the stone floor, feeling the cool stone against her hot cheek, the only sound her soft pants.

Someone stepped out from the shadows. "Keep this up and you're going to relapse."

It was Bruce, she realized. He must've got off work early. It was all she could do to, focus her eyes on him- breathing was priority now, not talking.

He picked her up, starting upstairs. "Training isn't a priority for you now."

That's what you think. I have my own city to defend... she thought, feeling the sting of his words. Even if he wouldn't let her patrol, he HAD to let her train. She'd worked so hard to get in the peak physical condition she was in, there was no WAY she was going to loose it...

"Getting better is." Bruce finished, setting her on the couch, in the living room. She felt a pang of regret at her harsh thoughts from only a moment earlier. Bruce grabbed a juice box from the kitchen, stabbing the straw into it, before handing it to her.

"Thanks." she muttered, sipping it. She'd caught he breath, now- it's taken almost five full minutes, though.

"Not a problem." Bruce said, not meeting her eyes. He instead picked up a little knicknack from the mantel above the fireplace. It was a little bird, she realized, and she watched him fiddle with it.

Finally, he spoke. "You don't have to go back to boarding school, Scarlet. You're always welcome here. This is your home."

She knew this was bat-speak for the fact that he missed her and would rather have her here. She'd stay- onky if she could patrol, though. She couldn't let on she was still working as a vigilante in London, couldn't openly ask how of he'd let her patrol here without suspiscion. She'd have to be carful how she played this.

She sat up, swinging her legs over the side of te couch and sipping the juice box, before she spoke.

"I... I can't stay here. Not without the memories... of being her... getting into my mind." She looked up at Bruce quietly, gauging his emotion. They both knew who she was referring to. Sparrow.

"There's something about Gotham- about night in general, actually." she threw in a dry laugh. "I don't even sleep at night, anymore, because I can't. I was raised in the night- I can function on three hours sleep. But no- I can't stay here without the memories, Bruce, and I can't stay here knowing you're in patrol without me. Boarding school- it's a good distraction."

Bruce nodded, looking dismayed. Scarlet, mostly, was surprised. Because everything she'd said to him, everything she'd felt- was absolutely truel She'd only neglected to mention thefact she'd been running a patrol in London...

She stared at Bruce. She was hoping- no, praying- that he'd ask her to join him again, to be a hero. With Jason, things could be different. She could fit for Gotham again, could return to the hero life, instead of having to worry and hide all the details about her London operations.

And she wanted to ask him if she could be his partner again. But she couldn't- if she did, he might get suspicious, might look into her London activities. And she couldn't risk everything she'd worked so hard to build.

Bruce nodded. "I understand." he said finally. "But i want you home during the holidays, and in the summer. There are benefits to civilian life, Scarlet- I hope you can adjust."

She nodded, dismayed. And with that, Bruce turned and left the room. He was disappointed, He wanted his daughter here at Gotham, eoth him. But at the same time, he understood why she didn't want to be.

He felt restless when he couldn't patrol, like a helpless bystandard. Like he'd been when his parents had been killed. Even if he'd been injured for only a day or two, he'd start to go stircrazy. And he knew she couldn't stand to live like that.

But he couldn't put her out in the city again, couldn't let himself put her on those front lines. She was his youngest, since Jason was sixteen, and his only daughter- and he couldn't stand to lose her. He just hoped that someday she'd understand.

She spent the remainer of the week alternating between playing with Jason, mastering Call of Duty- and living her double life. She'd slip outside in the night, crawl out her window and easily climb down the tree beside her window in her black hoodie and sweat pants, and run.

It hurt- god, did it hurt- her ribs and chest would ache, but she didn't care. She'd push herself to the point of collapse, spend five minutes gasping on the griund and waiting for the black spots in her vision to fade, before she'd keep going, until she returned to her room, drenched in sweat, to grab a quick shower before breakfast.

By the end of the week, the point of collapse wasn't three minutes anymore- it was around seven.

She approached Bruce that night. He was working in his study, and he looked up when she sat down in her chair.

"Everything okay, Scarlet?" he asked, brows furrowed.

She nodded. "I'm ready to go back to boarding school."

Bruce looked hesitant. "Are you sure? You're still pale..." he leaned across the mahogany desk, pressing the back of his hand to her cheek.

"I'm fine, Dad. It's time- I can't sleep here anymore. The streets..."

Bruce nodded. He understood. "I'll line up a plane ticket. Do you want me to come with you?"

She shook her head. "It'd be easier if you didn't, but thanks."

"My hope is that someday you'll be able to stay here without feeling like you should be on the streets. That you can think of Gotham as your home, not your burden..."

"Maybe someday, Dad." she said, giving him a wane smile. She hated lying to him, but what else could she do? She'd been raised in the shadows, she was a child of the night... and she always would be.

* * *

Jason leaned on the doorframe, arms crossed, watching her pack, his brow knit together.

"You're leaving?"

"Yeah. I have to get back to school..."

"Oh." Jason said, studying the floor. He'd never been good with emotions. Sure, his mother and him had had a special connection, but otherwise, he totally sucked at expressing emotion. Like right now. He had no idea how to tell Scarlet that he was going to miss her without sounding weak.

So he asked the first thing that popped into his head, instead. "How could you do it?"

She looked up from where she was packing her suitcase, confused. "Do what?"

"Give up being a hero. I mean, I'm not judging you or anything, I just wanna know. You told me that story about your team, when you were younger,mand you just seemed to... enjoy it so much. So how did you just... give it up? Being allowed to be Robin has been the best thing that's happened to me..."

Scarlet bit her lip, unsure wether or not to tell him. Over the course of the few days, she'd learned Jason was rough around the edges, but very nice.

She said nothing to Jason until her suitcase was all packed and zipped up, before turning to look earnestly at Jason.

"Can you keep a secret?" she asked quietly, voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah. What about?" he was looking at her, slightly concerned.

She rolled her suitcase over to the door so she was facing him. Blue eyes met blue- hers were hesitant, his serious. He already felt like she was his sister, and if she was in trouble, he wanted to help...

"It's about being a hero. The truth is- I never stopped."

And with that she was gone, heading downstairs, towards the door- she had a plane to catch.

**BOOM! What is Jason gonna do? Please review! **


	11. Unexpected Visitor

**Sooo... I'm making progress with Two Litle Birds- it's actually kind of a blessing in disguise I accidentally deleted part of it, because the begining needed a revamp anyways. I haven'r posted anything yet, since that's gonna be a major job. Anyways, here's this chaoter, and please review! :)**

She was nearly too tired to climb the ivy and crawl through her bedroom window that night. She was exhausted but satisfied, she realized, as she tumbled through the open window and onto the lush blue carpet that was her room.

She'd been getting stronger after her illness, of course, she wasn't dry-heaving from coughing fits anymore, but she hadn't accounted on so much ground to cover. She had the whole city ofOondon, afterall, but she found if she broke it into one section each day it kept crooks on their toes, and she could handle it.

Soon she'd be back to covering half the city a night. Besides, it was better being here- she'd almost gone stirrcrazy back in Gotham.

Still, she had something on her mind. A series of murders, all the corpses found burning in the middle of the street with no one in sight. A serial killer, no doubt, he'd already taken three people. It weighed heavily on her shoulders, knowing civilians had lost their lives while she was gone.

She stood, brushing herself off. She'd grab a hot shower and fall into bed, then finsh her chemistry homework at breakfast.

"So, this is what you've been doing."

She jumped nearly a foot, birdarang in hand in a defensive stance, ready to throw at a moments notice.

"Woah. Easy, tiger." she realized it was Nightwing who was sitting on her bed and dropped her weapons, letting out a ragged breath and brushing the stray hair from her face.

"What are you doing here?" She sounded tired, almost as tired as she felt.

"I knew you couldn't stay out of the hero business, Scarlet. I gave you a few weeks here to set up shop- I wanted to make sure things were okay."

She noticed Dick had found the panel she'd cut in the wall, and all her weapons set out on the bed.

Dick had even found a spare harddrive she kept with all her casefiles and data on it. She was impressed.

"How did you..."

She stopped mid-sentence, seeing Nightwing's grin.

"Really? I knew you'd never give up beign a hero, kid- no matter where you are. Bruce was hoping you weren't- he hasn't seen anything in the papers. So he's content in keeping himself thinking that you aren't being a hero. Funny, how the power of suggestion works. He wants you to stop being a vigilante, so he MAKES himself believe it. Me- I know better."

"I've been in my own city long enough to know London was a safer than Blüdhaven. But that doesn't mean you're safe. I knew the papers woldn't publicize your activities, not after the public outcry about a child vigilante on the street the last time you were at boarding school, when you were eleven. I also knew you'd be here. I was waiting for you to set up shop so I could see how you were doing. I'm impressed."

"Great." she said tiredly, looking over at him. "Now can you please get all this gear off my bed? And keep it down- I don't want people finding out Nightwing is in my bedroom."

Dick's smile dulled a few watts. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Yeah, I am. I'm just tired, Dickie, we'll talk in the morning, alright? Are you going to stay here for the night?"

"No. I got a hotel a few blocks away. Listen, is something bothering you? You seem upset." his concerned gaze turned to her, and she forced a wane smile.

"No, Dickie, i've just got a lot on my mind, okay? We'll talk after school tomorrow- I'll meet you at the cafe down the street, alright?"

"Sure." Dick still looked concerned, but said nothing more other than goodnight before leaving via the window.

* * *

Jason laid in his room, staring at the ceiling. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, or if he was going to anything. Tonight, he'd gone on patrol with Batman. And ran into Two Face. He had an acid burn on his arm to prove it, and honestly, he was rattled.

If Gotham was anything like London, he realized he'd made a huge mustake in not telling anyone what she'd told him.

_"Can you keep a secret?" _her voice echoed in his head. He'd said yes, He couldn't tell anyone, couldn't violate her trust. She was his sister, afterall, adopted, but if he betrayed her now, Bruce would take her back here and keep her locked inside, and she would never trust him again.

_"It's about being a hero. The truth is- I never stopped."_

He'd promised to keep her secret. But if she died, he'd never forgive himself...

He didn't sleep at all that night.

* * *

She woke up slightly tired, but she always was. She went through her classes feeling half-there, her mind wandering to the serial killer loose on her streets. She wanted to talk to Dick, but at the same time, she didn't. She wanted to prove she could handle her own city, her own cases. But she hadn't been there for any of the killings, and the crime scenes were no doubt all contaminated by now...

Classes were finally over, and she signed out and left the ground, hands in her pockets, heading down the street towards the cafe. She'd tell Dick, she decided, ask for his thoughts ont he case, and maybe his help. This wasn't about proving herself, she reminded herself- it was about making sure another person didn't lose their live.

It was then she heard the screaming. Her head snapped up, she instinctively fell into a fighting stance, ready to fight or run. Other civilians had stopped walking, as well, and were looking around, confused.

It was then the screaming victem ran out of the alley and into the street.

She could tell by the voice it was a woman, but other than that, there was nothing. Flames left off the woman, and the bone-chilling scream came. She felt the heat from the women as she raced past her, falling into the street, rolling desperately on the pavement. Cars swerved and skidded to a stop before her, and the passersby just stared, dumbfounded, at the flaming human writhing in agony before them...

She was running before she knew what shew as doing, kneeling beside the woman, desperately trying to beat off the flames.

"Somebody, call 999!" she ordered, crisis management skills kicking in. Several people whipped out their mobile phones and started calling, and she continued to desperately try and help the woman, though the flames wouldn't go out...

The heat and smoke was already hellish, but she kept trying, though the screaming had, terrifyingly enough, died away, letting her know the victem was most likely unconcious...

"Move!" a waiter from a nearby restraunt rushed past her , dumping a large jug of water on the woman. The flames roared higher, and she was forced to jump away, watching, horrified, as the flesh melted away...

Sirens were screaming, now, and she felt hands gently pull her far away from the fire. She looked up, feeling shocked and numb, only to find Dick had her in his arms.

The victim was screaming again, and Dick placed an arm around her and led her down the sidewalk, away from the scene. EMTs were struggling to help the victem, but unfortuneately, Dick had realized they were beyond the point of saving.

Scarlet was shaking slightly as he led her to the csfe, and he had to admit that he, too, was rattled. Sure, there were constant murders and deaths in Gotham, but never had either of them witnessed that degree of human suffering, besides in one another after a particularly grueling bout with the Joker, and even that was rare.

Dick guided her to the table in the little cafe, sitting her down. He'd already ordered her a muffin, and he let out a breath, looking over at Scarlet.

She was looking at him, slightly pale,mslightly shaky. "That was the fourth this week." she whispered shakily.

Dick leaned forward so he could hear her better. "That's what was bugging you last night, wasn't it?"

She nodded. "I found out when I got back. Two happened while I was gone, the third I didn't get to in time, and then this..."

"What do you think we're dealing with? Serial killer?" Dick implored her.

She shook her head. "No. I thought so, at first, since all the bodies were found burned nearly beyond recognition, but this one... they found the others burned, charred, already. This one was still alive."

"So they made a mistake..." Dick was already working.

"Yeah. They didn't manage to kill her before..."

"So why don't you think it was a serial killer?"

She looked around the cafe before she spoke. "Meet me in my room tonight, and we'll talk." was all she said, They couldn't be heard talking about this here.

It was an hour later when they sat in her room, on her bed. She pulled up a map on her wrist computer, the holograph showing the city of London.

Slowly, she zoomed into her neighborhood. "This is where the first victim was found, he was killed at approximately midnight." she highlighted a point on the street a few blocks from the school before tapping the screen, zooming it out.

"The other vicim was found here. Both victems were male, athletic, and fit. There was no blood from the attacker, meaning that the victim didn't get to fight back- how could one man take down another so effectively in one hit?"

"So we're dealing with a group." Dick said quietly, and she nodded. Dick tried not to smile. He'd deduced it a few minutes ago, but he wanted Scarlet to solve this herself. He'd come here for a reason- to see if she was responsible enough to handle her own city. And he wasn't going to leave until he was satisfied.

"Exactly." Scarlet said calmly. "So- Scotland yard is waiting on the DNA test results to identify the victims, though family has come forward to identify the first two. The others were sent to a lab for testing. No results have been published yet, but why wait for that when you can just hack the lab?"

With that being said, she switched screens, and a wall of computer code flowed before her. He could easily decipher most of it and what she was doing. She was cracking the password of a closely guarded user account at Gravity labs. In less than two minutes she wss in, hiding behind numerous proxies so she couldn't be tracked.

Dick smiled. He'd been worried, before, about her being on her own. He'd contemplated calling her numerous times while he was on patrol in Blüdhaven, but now that he was observing her in action, he was reassured. Even if she couldn't handle whatever this was by herself, they could certainly handle it together.


	12. Prey

**Man, has it been awhile. I'm sorry, Two little birds is taking a lot longer than I thought, because of stuoid FINALS! No me gusta! Anyways, this chaoter is sort of everyone-centric. It does touch on religion and sexuality slightly, as they're investigating the murder victims.**

**That being said, I DO NOT MEAN THIS CHAPTER TO HURT OR OFFEND ANYONE. My goal was to write this chapter as tastefully as possible while still holding true to what's going down. That being said, I am not homosexual, and I don't really know how to refer to a female couple besides 'lesbian'. I'm going to appoligize in advance for any politically incorrect statements I've accidentally written in my ignorance.**

**This chapter also contains a bit on judaism, once again, touching on the murder victims. That being said, I'm not jewish, so I appoligize for any mistakes I made when writing describing the jewish liturgy. I didn't write the prayer being said in hebrewm but rather ohonetically,s o it would be easier for non-jewish readers to understand. **

**DISCLAIMER: ONE OF THE PREJUDICE VILLIANS IN THIS CHAPTER SAYS A SEXUALLY DEMEANING TERM, F*ggot. I DID NOT WRITE THIS TO OFFEND ANYONE, RATHER I WAS TRYING TO SHOW HOW PREJUDICE AND HOMOPHIBIA, AS WELL AS HATE IN GENERAL FOR A CERTAIN GROUP CAN BE HURTFUL AND DEMEANING. **

**thanks to . for the begining of the jewish shema prayer.**

_"Scarlet?" he spoke her name. She was dressed in full leather pants and a jacket, staring out at the city below her. She was ontop of a building, he was too, he realized. Night had taken over the city, now, and she didn't turn to look at him._

_"Kid?" he asked, walking a little closer, surprised she couldn't hear him._

_And then there was a scream from the streets below. Sparrow, still not turning to face him, vaulted off the_ _building. it was only two stories, and her grappling gun deployed. She flew into the man, causing him to slam into the wall._

_But then there were more, so many more... three men emerged from the alley, they had guns. He jumped, forgetting he didn't have his grappling gun and was dressed as a civilian. It was a two story building, but still, he felt a flash if pure terror before he hit the pavement._

_He heard the crunching of his bones, felt the searing pain. He was lying on the pavement, now, could see a shard of bone sticking out of his calf, feel the warm blood slicking his skin._

_He was brought out of his stupor by a gun shot._

_"No!" he screamed, he watched Scarlet buckle and hit the ground. _

_The female who she'd been trying to save had long since fled. Scarlet was scrabbling away, looking desperate, blood trailing from her thigh, where the bullet had hit..._

_He grit his teeth, dragging himself across the street. The men had gathered around Scarlet, now, he couldn't see her, they were kicking and jeering..._

_Finally, they were done. One man knelt, there was a strangled cry, then silence, and they all fled into the alley._

_Jason didn't care about them at the moment. He clawed his way across the pavement, towards her still form, desperate._

_"Scarlet?" his voice was barely abive a whisper._

_A raspy breath was his only response. He forced himself up on his eblow, staring at her, gasping..._

_They'd slit her throat. Blood was pouring from the bullet wound on her thigh, but they'd cut her throat..._

_She looked up at him, eyes wide like a doe's, panting, making horrible rasping noises as she struggled._

_"No..." he dragged himself beside her, pulled her close to him. He cradled her head on his lap._

_"No..." his vision was blurring with tears, now. Every second felt like an eternity, watching her suffer, but at the same time it was so fast, since he knew she only had a minute or so left to live._

_"Please god, no!" _

_She was still rasping, cloudy eyes fixated on his face. He broke down crying, brushing her bloody hair away from her face, praying there would be a miracle, somehow..._

_She made a choking sound, a wet, choking sound escaping her. Blood spattered her lips. She struggled for a few seconds more, before the rasping that was her breath stopped._

He sat bolt upright, gasping, in bed. He was covered in a sheen of sweat. It wasn't real, it was never real...

God, he was shaking. He'd had nightmares like that for awhile- but they were all about him. He'd lived on the Gotham streets, known that someday the gangsters would get ahold of him or something would go wrong and he'd die like that.

But not Scarlet. Not her. She was a nice kid, not innocent- she'd seen too much in her hero career to maintain childhood innocence. But to see everything she had, and still maintain her attitude... She deserved better than him for an adopted brother.

Still, it rattled him to the core to know that she could be facing the exact same situation right now in London. He didn't sleep anymore that night.

* * *

"Kelsey Marin and Elijah Powers. You search them. I'll look into Sophia and Anna..."

Dick looked at her calmly. "Kelsey Marin. I already found her facebook. She was in a relationship with Sophia..."

"They were lesbian?" Scarlet asked, not batting an eye.

Dick nodded. "Guess so."

Neither of them really took note of someone's sexuality. Socially, it didn't matter to them. They'd seen all walks of life when they'd been in the circus, a variety of races and sexualities. They'd been raised to respect everyone, and a different sexuality didn't really bother them. They were raised in a circus and knew several races of aliens, afterall. They'd learned not to be judgmental.

Except here, the victem's sexuality just might have mattered. "They were both victems. That can't be a coincidence..." Dick muttered. "Especially not with this..." Kelsey had posted a picture of her and Sophia sharing a kiss at the nightclub. First that post, advertising, from what he could see, that they were romantically involved the first time, and then their murder. Normally, he would've guessed a family member who was against their relationship, would rather have a tradtionsl relationship, had killed them, but that didn't account for the other victems...

"It wasn't. They were last seen at a club- they left together to walk home. The next morning they found the burned bodies." Sparrow said simply. She'd read what she could from the papers.

Dick nodded. This pointed toward group murder- one man probably would've only been able to seize one woman while the other ran for help.

"What abount the man?" Scarlet asked suddenly, looking thoughtful.

"Elijah Abrams, 29. His wife reports he was walking home after volunteering at the synagogue..."

"Stop." Scarlet looked over at him. "Doesn't this seem a little... strange? Two lesbian lovers are attacked and end up dead, then a jewish man..."

Dick had a good idea of what was going on already, but he decided to make a plausible suggestion, just to throw her off. "Hate crimes, maybe?"

"Yeah, maybe, but most hate crime organizations focus in on one sort of race and religious denomination. This seems more like... nazism."

So she'd figured it out. He'd been thinking it, as well He wanted to grin, proud, but that wouldn't fit into the conversation. So he faked a puzzled look, cocking an eyebrow.

"Nazis?"

"Yeah, think about it. Nazis hated homosexuals, jews, gypsys..." Her tone hardened slightly at the last statement. Her great-grandfather had been lucky to escape the holocaust alive, fleeing with his gypsy family to Holland. Still, that wasn't as relevant to the case.

"There are still neo-natzis and white supremists around today. They're just a lot less prominant..."

Dick nodded. "It makes sense." he agreed calmly. "Alright, let's say there is a group of neo-natzis around. How would we find them?"

Scarlet's fingers were already flying across the keyboard to her wrist computer. "A shaved head is a common feature. Not to mention white, since neo-nazis don't take kindly to other races... These guys, whoever they are, are targeting the weak- like two girls out alone at night, and a lone man on a deserted road..."

"So what's your plan?" Dick asked, a small, curious smile gracing his lips.

She smiled. "Simple. We bring them out into the open. There's only one way to expose the hunter here. Become the prey."

* * *

Bruce watched Jason pick at his food. He'd been busy lately, but he knew Jason was keeping uo with his excessive training pattern. And it was showing. But the boy was pale, he had dark circles under his eyes, and Bruce couldn't help but feel concerned.

He watched him move the food around on his plate, try to make it look like he was eating, but he knew he wasn't. The boy obviously had something on his mind.

He observed him tentatively, and the teen didn't bother to look up. He seemed listless, which worried Bruce even more. Finally, he spoke. "Jason."

The boy started, slamming his knee into the top of the table in surprise, wincing slightly before looking over at Bruce.

"Yeah?"

"Are you sleeping alright? You look tired..."

He saw the fear in the boy's eyes, realizing weakness had been discovered. And just as quickly, a glassy look, almost like a sheild, slammed down over his expression, making him emotionless.

"I've been sleeping fine, thanks." he said simply, before standing, heading for the cave.

Bruce watched him go with worried eyes. It was clear the boy was lying, there was something wrong... If he were Dick, the boy would'ce told him. But Jason wasn't Dick, he had to remind himself yet again. Jason had grown up on the streets, no doubt thought that showing weakness was a bad thing. He must've learned to hide pain as a coping skill, or possibly just as a means to survive...

Either way, he'd have to wait for things to unfold before he could understand what was troubling his newest son.

* * *

"Sh'ma Yisra'eil Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad. Barukh sheim k'vod malkhuto l'olam va'ed. V'ahav'ta eit Adonai Elohekha b'khol l'vav'kha uv'khol naf'sh'kha uv'khol m'odekha. V'hayu had'varim ha'eileh asher anokhi m'tzav'kha hayom al l'vavekha. V'shinan'tam l'vanekha v'dibar'ta bam

b'shiv't'kha b'veitekha uv'lekh't'kha vaderekh uv'shakh'b'kha uv'kumekha Uk'shar'tam l'ot al yadekha v'hayu l'totafot bein einekha. Ukh'tav'tam al m'zuzot beitekha uvish'arekha."

She sat in the back row of the synagogue, trying not to fidget, cursing herself for not learning hebrew. She could speak Romani, English, some Russian and basic German, but no hebrew. And the entire jewish liturgey was, of course, in Hebrew.

She looked around the room. The synagogue was massive and beautiful- really beautiful. But she didn't have time to take it in. She was going to get attacked tonight. Hopefully.

She waited. The service continued for two hours, and she sat, white shawl around her white dress shirt and denim skirt, trying to look like she bekonged there. Finally, the service ended. It was long after dark, and she quietly made her way down the street, wondering how Dick was doing.

* * *

Dick made his way through the crowd of tightly packed men, the strobe lights flashing different colors, bathing them in neon light, as he worked his way back towards the bar.

He sat at the counter, sipping his drink, feeling out of place. The strobe lights flashed, music blared, and a man in a VERY tight european swimsuit, which was basically a tight pair of underwear, danced on a table and other men cheered and threw money.

How on Earth had he let Scarlet convince him to stake out the gay bar?

He felt awkward as hell, and nearly everything made him blush. Sure, he didn't mind other's sexuality, but he was straight, so this entire place was foreign and a little bit shocking to him.

The only reason he'd went by the crowd was because he knew he had to mingle and appear homosexual if he wanted to attract the attention of the hate-group. But that still didn't make things any less awkward.

He sipped on the pinkish cocktail he'd ordered. Three guys had already come up to hit on him, and each time all he'd been able to do was blush and stare at the ground. If this kept up, he was going to need something stronger than just a mild cocktail. Thank god the kaws on drinking age were different here.

He looked up to see a group of three or four males, all in their mid-twenties, oggling him, whispering and pointing. But the person behind them really caught his attention.

Shaved head, dark red dress shirt, khakis, and boots. Everything about his build screamed military to Dick, and the windex-blue cocktail looked totally out of place in his hand...

He felt cold, suddenly. The man's gaze was unnerving, and he turned back to his drink, vowing to stay away from him. Most men here were looking for a date, but they'd leave you alone if you asked. There was something about that man...

He suddenly felt out of place in a white dress shirt and black dress pants. It always turned the girls on at the Blüdhaven PD- and it apparently did the same for the opposite sex, as well. He checked his phone for the time. Nearly midnight.

And then he got the text.

_Headed 2 rendevouz. How bout u?_

He downed the rest of his drink, then, standing and smoothing the wrinkles in his shirt fabric absently. He turned to the ogglers, giving them a wink, feeling like he had to have at least one show of confidence here, before he was out in the cool night air.

_On my way. Anyone tailing u?_ he sent the text, feeling slightly anxious.

This had been the plan- to try and attract the attention of the nazi band by appearing as vunerable individuals in the night. The gay bar had been part of the ploy- he knew they targeted homosexuals, and this bar was near where the lesbians, Kelsey and Sophia- had been killed.

He noticed the man with the shaved head tailing him. No wnder he'd gotten such a weird vibe from him- he was being tailed. He was skightly reloeved they'd chosen him, nit Scarlet, to attack.

They'd also targeted a Jew, so Scarlet was their second bait. Dick had to admit, he was hoping that, if one of them managed to capture the interest of the neo-nazi group, it was him. He felt more confident taking on a band of racist white supremicists than having Scarlet try too deal with them, and he was having second thoughts about putting her on the street tonight...

There was a slight noise. A man with a shaved head emerged from an alley he'd walked past a minute or so ago, another, with an equally as bald head, falling into step behind his comrade.

Dick pretended not to notice, looking down at his phone screen.

_I've got company._

Three seconds later, Scarlet had replied.

_How far from the rendezvous point. What road, and how many? _she was both anticipating the capture of these murders and feeling nervousness and alarm bells sound in her head. Dick didn't know London as well as she did, if he didn't reach the rendezvous point by the time he was attacked...

_A few blocks from the bar, three of them- no, four, now. Keep ur guard up._

She sighed, quickening her pace to a jog. That was so like Dick- telling her to watch out for herself while he was being trailed by a gang of neo-nazis. To be honest, she hadn't taking down any organizations of crime like this in London yet, and she was nervous. She'd never thought she'd get this far...

The fifth and sixth man stepped out from an alley in front of him, on the opposite side of the street. They could easily cross over and block his path- and the last thing he needed was to be surrounded.

So he turned into an alley to his right, realizing that it was strategically his best option. He was about to text Scarlet the change in plans when someone slapped his phone from his hands.

"Not so fast, faggot." someone snarled. He found himself looking up at a seventh man with a shaved head. With a flick of his wrist, the man had a switchblade in his hand. A moment later, Dick's right hook connected with the man's high cheekbone, and he hit the pavement, unconcious.

The other gang members who'd been striding easily towards him up until now, started to run, and he took his one and only option, stepping over the unconcious man and sprinting deeper into the alley.

He could hear the pounding of their boots behind him, the jungling of whatever coins they had in the pockets of their identical khaki pants... He had a sinking feeling this wasn't going to end well.

**Well? Good, bad? Please tell me if anyone was offended by anything I wrote or anything stood out as politically incorrect and I'll gladly try and fix it. Though, I kinda thought the idea of Dick in the gay bar was comical. i can imagine him being awkward, boushing...**

**Anyways, please review and tell me what you think! **


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